Walby, Lilian

Persoon

Walby, Lilian

Lilian was born and raised in Denmark and educated as an Industrial Engineer. After working in that field for a few years, she responded to a recruitment ad by Pan American Airways which was looking for Danish speaking stewardesses. Wishing to experience more of the World, she accepted the position as stewardess. Lilian completed her training in Miami and was based in New York, flying throughout the Pan Am system. She met her future husband, who was a pilot for Eastern Airlines, and they were married on the former Danish island of St. Thomas in 1970. They moved to Miami in 1971, and Lilian continued to fly out of New York for several more years. She spent the rest of her Pan Am career as a Cabin Crew instructor and recruiter in Miami.

Lilian became a mother in 1977 and gave birth to her daughter, Karen, who today is a Marine Biologist married and living in Miami. Lilian then became active in the organization of former Pan Am Flight Attendants, World Wings International, Inc., and was elected to the position of President of the Miami Chapter in 1978. She became a member of the International Board of Directors of World Wings in 1985 as Recording Secretary, and as Vice-President of Charity, she administered the selection of CARE as World Wings International's official charity. Before being elected as the International President of World Wings in 1993, Lilian compiled the official archive of historical documents and materials of World Wings International as Board Archivist and presented the collection in 1993 to the University of Miami's Richter Library. She continues to add to this collection. Before retiring from the International Board of World Wings in 1999, Lilian also created a Time Capsule for the organization to be reopened in 2024.

Currently, Lilian serves as the Vice-President of the Pan Am Historical Foundation in the position as Chair of the Archives and memorabilia and Director of the Latin and Caribbean division of the Foundation.